lecture overview studying psychological disorders: childhood disorders (adhd; autism) anxiety...

Lecture Overview

• Studying Psychological Disorders:

• Childhood Disorders (ADHD; Autism)• Anxiety Disorders• Mood Disorders• Schizophrenia

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Studying Psychological Disorders

• Abnormal Behavior: patterns of emotion, thought, & action considered pathological for one or more of four reasons:

• statistical infrequency

• disability or dysfunction

• personal distress

• violation of norms

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Studying Psychological Disorders: Four Criteria for Abnormal Behavior

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• Culture-General Symptoms: shared symptoms across cultures

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Studying Psychological Disorders (Continued)

• Historical perspectives:– In ancient times, people

believed demons were the cause of abnormal behavior, & boring holes in the skull (trephining) allowed evil spirits to escape.

– In the 19th Century the medical model of psychiatric diseases began to take hold.

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Studying Psychological Disorders (Continued)

• Modern psychology includes seven major perspectives on abnormal behavior.

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Studying Psychological Disorders: Classifying Abnormal Behavior

• Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR):

• provides detailed symptom descriptions• contains over 200 diagnostic categories

grouped into 17 major categories & five dimensions (or axes)

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Studying Psychological Disorders: Classifying Abnormal Behavior

(Cont.)• Five Axes of DSM-IV-TR (guidelines for

making decisions about symptoms)

• Axis I (current clinical disorders)

• Axis II (personality disorders & mental retardation)

• Axis III (general medical information)

• Axis IV (psychosocial & environmental problems)

• Axis V (global assessment of functioning)

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©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010

Key Points:

1)Differential Diagnoses

2)People with psychiatric diagnoses also commonly suffer comorbidity with

Substance-related disorders

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• ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Historically called Minimal Brain Damage or Dysfunction (MBD) ; Attention Deficit with or without Hyperactivity (ADD , ADD+ H).

• Problems with Diagnoses?

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• DSM-IV (TR)Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

A. Persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more severe than is typically observed in individuals at comparable level of development.

B. Some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms must have been present before seven years of age.

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C. Some impairment from the symptoms must be present in at least two settings.

D. There must be clear evidence of interference with developmentally appropriate social, academic or occupational functioning.

E. ADHD primarily hyperactive

ADHD primarily inattentive

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• Deficits in Executive Function: Wisconsin Card Sort Test

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• Stroop Test:

• BLUE BLUE

• RED RED

• GREEN GREEN

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©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010

• ADHD results in Problems of Executive Function:

• Planning

• Working Memory **

• Sustaining Attention

• Resisting Distraction

• Organizing

• Stopping and Starting Behavior

** remembering so as to do

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• Pervasive Developmental Disorders

• Autism

• High- functioning

• Low-functioning

• Asperger’s Syndrome

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Autistic children have deficits in:

• Social interaction (Theory of Mind)

• Language and communication

• Imaginative play

• Range of interest and activity

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Asperger’s Syndrome in children produces:

Odd language (stilted prosody)

Deficit in social interaction

Fixation in interest

Diagnosed later than Autism; fewer severe behavior problems

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Anxiety Disorders

• Anxiety Disorder: overwhelming apprehension & fear accompanied by autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal

• Five Major Types:

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2. Panic Disorder

3. Phobias

4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

5. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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Five Types of Anxiety Disorders

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: persistent, uncontrollable, & free-floating anxiety

2. Panic Disorder: sudden & inexplicable panic attacks

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Anxiety Disorders (Continued)

3. Phobia: intense, irrational fear & avoidance of a specific object or situation

4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): intrusive, repetitive, fearful thoughts (obsessions), with urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic, behaviors (compulsions), or both

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Anxiety Disorders (Continued)

5. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): anxiety disorder following extraordinary stress

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Explanations of Anxiety Disorders

• Psychological--faulty cognitions, maladaptive learning

• Biological--evolution, genetics, brain functioning, biochemistry

• Sociocultural—environmental stressors, cultural socialization

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Mood Disorders

• Mood Disorders: characterized by extreme disturbances in emotional states

• Two Main Types of Mood Disorders:

• Major Depressive Disorder: long-lasting depressed mood that interferes with the ability to function, feel pleasure, or maintain interest in life

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Bipolar Disorder:

• repeated episodes of mania & depression

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Mood Disorders (Continued)

• Note how major depressive disorders differ from bipolar disorders on this hypothetical graph.

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Explanations of Mood Disorders

– Biological--brain functioning, neurotransmitter imbalances, genetics

– Psychosocial--environmental stressors, disturbed interpersonal relationships, faulty thinking, poor self-concept, learned helplessness, faulty attributions

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Mood Disorders (Continued)• Gender & Cultural Diversity:

– Culture-general symptoms for depression (e.g., sad affect, lack of energy)

– Women more often depressed. Why? Combination of biological, psychological, & social forces (biopsychosocial model)

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Social Psychological

Biological

Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia: group of psychotic disorders, characterized by a general loss of contact with reality

• Five areas of major disturbance:1. Perception (hallucinations) 2. Language (word salad, neologisms) 3. Thoughts (psychosis, delusions) 4. Emotion (exaggerated or flat affect)5. Behavior [unusual actions (e.g., catalepsy, waxy

flexibility)]

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Subtypes of Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia (Continued)

• Explanations of Schizophrenia:

– Biological: genetic predisposition, disruptions in neurotransmitters, brain abnormalities

– Psychosocial: diathesis-stress model, disturbed family communication

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Genetics & Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia (Continued)

• Gender & Cultural Diversity: Numerous culturally general symptoms, but significant differences exist in:

• prevalence • form • onset • prognosis

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